The Red Masque
by Manny PenPen
Summary: When Raven begins to lose control of her emotions, chaos reigns--literally. Can Raven overcome her inner demons? And if she can't, what then? [Discontinued]
1. Chapter One: Harbingers

The Red Masque, Part One  
  
Disclaimer: All the characters are property of their respective owners, like Warner Brothers, DC Comics, et cetera. I'm not planning to use any originals at this point, although if I do, I'll be sure to warn you. Also, all the quotes from Poe are copyright to him, or his estate, or whoever has the rights to his works at the moment. Hope you enjoy the story, as it's my first offering in a while. Reviews are always appreciated, naturally, especially if there's a mistake that needs to be called to my attention. And compliments are, of course, highly welcome as well. Thank you muchly!  
  
--Manny PenPen  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"From childhood's hour I have not been As others were; I have not seen As others saw; I could not bring My passions from a common spring."  
  
--Edgar Allen Poe, "Alone"  
  
Quiet.  
  
Raven loved the quiet, that delicate peace which settled so seldomly over the Titan's Tower. Normally, the place was practically a hive of frenzied activity, but today. . .there was quiet. After briefly flicking her gaze about the empty common room, the slim young woman sank into the softest, most comfortable corner of the couch. There. Almost perfect. Only her book was out of place; the small, leather-bound tome rested on the end table near her, just out of physical reach.  
  
Let it lie there, Raven thought. She was too tired at the moment to do much besides bask in the silence. Already her eyelids were drooping, with each eyelash seemingly weighted by a pound of sand. But she couldn't sleep. Hadn't been able to sleep. Every time the Titan closed her own eyes, she could feel four more burning into the back of her head. And her dreams. . .well, the last time she had slept, her room looked like it had been hit by a cyclone come morning.  
  
Calm, whispered the Titan, even as a tremor of fear shivered through her. I am calm. With a murmured word and a quick exertion of energy, the blue-robed empathy levitated her book into her out-stretched palm. The black leather cover was soothing, and she took comfort in the book's reassuring presence. At least the other Titans weren't here. Starfire and Robin had gone out. . .together somewhere, and the other two boys had said something about visiting the basketball courts. A wry traced itself across Raven's face as she thought of Starfire and Robin. Apparently, an alien and a fearless leader could get along together quite nicely.  
  
Not that Raven minded. If nothing else, it got Starfire away from her and into someone else's care for a while. Ever since that body- switching episode, the young woman from Tamaraan had been particularly insistent on keeping up her end of their friendship. Again, it was something Raven could appreciate, but after losing several weekends to Star's various "hanging outs", she was beginning to wonder whether her friendship would be at the cost of her sanity. As Raven thumbed through the pages of her book, she chanced a quick glance at the clock. Only two o'clock? Good; she had at least a couple hours before the rest of the team was due to return. If she planned her time wisely, she'd have enough to--  
  
"Yo, anybody home?"  
  
Raven winced sharply at the sudden intrusion on her thoughts. She didn't just hear that. She couldn't have. What could they be doing back so early? Trying to recompose her thoughts, the young woman got to her feet slowly and peered over the back of the couch.  
  
More scuffling and noises from the hallway, and some muffled voices. That confirmed it; at least two of the Titans had returned far too early for Raven't tastes. Heaving a long and rather irritated sigh, she resettled herself into the couch, then picked up her book again. Perhaps, if she looked involved enough in Poe, they would take the hint and let her alone. Raven could hear them coming up behind her, the sound of a basketball bouncing mixing in with their voices.  
  
"Dude, I so totally won that game!" Beast Boy. Great, the boys were home. Out of the corner of her eye, Raven could see the green shape bouncing a basketball against the tiled floor. Then he shape shifted, and a green monkey vaulted over the couch to land on the low table in front and to the left of her.  
  
"That's just 'cause you cheated," returned Cyborg, who had come up behind the couch and was now resting his mechanical arm on the back. "I thought we 'greed on the no superpowers rule!"  
  
With a chitter, the monkey shifted back into Beast Boy. "You used 'em first, Mr. Roboto. You're just jealous I'm so smooth on the court." That said, the green teen sent the basketball rolling smoothly down his arm, then caught it neatly on the tip of one finger.  
  
Cyborg, however, only gave his friend an incredulous look. "Right. Smooth. Like when you tripped and fell into that blond on the sidelines?" he queried, voice dripping with sarcasm.  
  
At that, Beast Boy grimaced. "That's just 'cause you tripped me, dude. I was just about to show her my Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon basketball shot." As he spoke, he gestured articulately with his free hand.  
  
"Pretty damn ridiculous name for trippin' with style." Though his words were harsh, Cyborg's tone betrayed a far more friendly mindset.  
  
"It wasn't tripping! You," he punctuated this with a prideful look, "just don't know what true art looks like."  
  
"Least I know art from jus' plain bein' stupid."  
  
"Loser."  
  
"Jerk."  
  
Morons, added Raven silently.  
  
As if in response to her thought, Beast Boy pointed towards the empath. "Betcha Raven'll think it's art. She's a girl."  
  
"What does that have to do with it?" replied Raven, not taking her eyes off her book. She was in the middle of her favorite poem; petty arguments could hardly hold a candle to Poe's genius.  
  
"'Cause it impresses all the ladies," was Beast Boy's response. He grinned widely, and, for a moment, Raven found herself reminded of a green dolphin. "They were all lining up to see me, you know-"  
  
"More like trying to get away," snorted Cyborg.  
  
"-since I'm just that good," continued Beast Boy, ignoring Cyborg's comment completely. "Raven'll back me up."  
  
At this, Raven sighed and peered irritably over the top of her book. "If it's anything like your sense of humor. . ."  
  
"Then I'll probably have Star all over me too. Not-" he added hastily as Cyborg glared at him, "-that I wanna fool around with that. Heh." The green-skinned superhero rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.  
  
Raven lowered the book a few inches, just enough so she could get a full view of her teammate. "Fine. Get it over with."  
  
"Just watch." With those words, he straightened up, rebalanced the ball on his finger, then leapt into the air. For a few moments, he hung there, then he hurtled down headfirst, his arms outstretched. He would have caught himself and executed a perfect handstand. . .if he had landed on the table. As it was, his hands caught the corner of the table, causing him to fall awkwardly. Before Raven had time react, he was upon her; the two of them went crashing to the floor, arms and legs all akimbo.  
  
She was underneath him, she realized dizzily. And her book open was underneath her, she realized with a twinge of anger. While neither her nor Beast Boy were that heavy, their combined weight would be more than enough to damage that precious leather cover. "Get. . .off. . .of me," she hissed, teeth clenched in restrained fury.  
  
Cyborg was kneeling beside them now.. "Beast Boy? Raven? You okay? What the hell just happened?"  
  
"More like heaven," gasped Beast Boy. Despite the obvious failure of his "smooth move," the Titan was grinning from ear to ear. "Toldja it'd get the ladies all over me."  
  
"Get OFF!"  
  
A blanket of black energy wrapped itself around Beast Boy, and he rocketed up into the air. Below him, Raven was holding her hands out towards him and almost glowing with bloody rage. She hated, hated, HATED- goddamn him and his stupid comments! And his need to show off! He deserved what was coming, oh yes. She would enjoy tearing him apart.  
  
"Raven? Raven? H-h-hey, this isn't funny!" stammered her captive. For the first time in a while, a look of absolute fear showed in his eyes, and he began to shapeshift in a desperate attempt to escape from his teammate. Each time he changed, however, the blackness contracted further and further, nearly suffocating him. "R-raven?!"  
  
"Don't touch me!" she hissed, her voice now deep and husky with the force of her fury. With a flick of her wrist, she levitated her book up before his face. "Do you realize the damage you're causing?"  
  
Beast Boy stared at the pages dizzily. With the lack of oxygen he was getting close to passing out in midair. "I. . .I. . ."  
  
With a crack of black lightning, the book tore itself in half, its pages scattering across the floor of the room. "This! This is what you cause! Destruction!" As she spoke, the two book halves fell to the ground with a soft thud. She could feel those eyes burning into the back of her head, and she didn't care, didn't think, didn't want to do anything except to give release to her unbridled fury-  
  
"Raven!"  
  
Two strong arms seized her torso, and Raven's concentration broke in a rush of energy. With a faint yelp, Beast Boy tumbled onto the couch and lay there, trying to catch his breath. Meanwhile, Cyborg kept his grip on her frail body. "Raven! What in the hell're you doing? You nearly killed him!"  
  
What in the hell was I doing? echoed Raven mentally. She felt dizzy. Cold. Empty, as if some wildfire had just ravaged its way through her. She hadn't felt this way since her encounter with Dr. Light, and even then she'd still had some semblance of control. The part that scared her the most, however, was that glee, that sadistic glee that had reveled in her comrade's pain. . . "Don't. . .just. . .just move." God, her head hurt. The only thing she wanted to do right now was to meditate, and try to clear her mind. Peace. Calm. Calm. . .  
  
Naturally, Cyborg hardly intended to allow her to attack Beast Boy again, so he kept one eye firmly fixed on Raven as he released her. "You. . .okay?"  
  
"Figures nobody's asking me that. . ." Beast Boy managed to croak.  
  
Raven ignored him. It was all she could do to keep her own mind in check. "Yes. Fine." How was she supposed to explain anything to them?  
  
Cyborg's face was gentle. "You're sure? Last time you were like this. . ."  
  
"I know. Let me be." Not wanting to dwell on this any further, the blue-robed Titan portalled through the floor and came out through the ceiling of her bedroom. Meditation. She needed. . .meditation. . .  
  
Behind her, Cyborg stared at the mess of paper that now littered their common room. "You alright?" he asked, turning towards his smaller friend.  
  
"Yeah. For nearly getting turned into mush, that is." Though he was still short on breath, the green teen had managed a sitting position on the couch. Careful not to hurt his injured sides, he lifted up a book half and stared at it. For a moment, he examined it silently, then tilted his head up towards Cyborg's face.  
  
"What'd I do?" 


	2. Chapter Two: Blossoms and Brethren

A/N: Whoo, chapter number two! I'd like to thank all of you for reading this, and to extend double thanks to all of those who took the time to review. Feedback is food for starving artists, dontchaknow. n_n The chapter is now complete; hopefully it'll make more sense with the second part attached. Enjoy!  
  
--Manny PenPen  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Afternoons on Earth, Starfire decided, were undoubtedly the closest thing to Heaven she had ever experienced.  
  
Maybe it was these "birds" that gave her so much joy. These tiny creatures, with their delicate plumage and twittering beaks, crowded about her hand eagerly, each one chirruping along to its own tune. Amazing, she thought. Breadcrumbs did not seem very appetizing to her, but the funny little creatures fought over them like they were delicacies.  
  
After a few moments of jostling its fellow birds, one particularly ruffled looking avian creature fluttered angrily upward, then disappeared through the flowering boughs of the cherry blossom tree. Starfire watched it go, her green gaze trailing after the creature and towards the sky. That was beautiful too, she realized. The heavens were a celestial shade of cerulean that was marred only by the snow-white clouds that drifted lazily along. Such a strange planet, thought the alien. Personally, she delighted in the appearance of clouds, especially ones like these; their delicate blue bellies made her long to reach up and tickle them.  
  
"Starfire?"  
  
Moving out from behind a tree in a swirl of cherry blossoms, Robin stepped forth into the golden sunlight. He seemed. . .radiant somehow, like an angel in his first steps upon the earth. Everything else seemed to dull around his luminous aura. With his boots treading softly upon the verdant floor of the park, he stepped out of the sunlight and seated himself besides Starfire. "Sorry about that," he commented smoothly. "I couldn't find you for a minute there."  
  
Starfire giggled gently. "It is alright, Robin. These bird creatures have kept my company most nicely." The young woman held out a tanned hand towards one of them, and it cocked its head at her curiously. After a moment's hesitation, it hopped onto one of her fingers and clung there. "Robin," she said, her lilting pleasantly, "what sort of bird is this?" As if offended at her ignorance, the little creature puffed up its red breast and chirruped at her. "I remember that some birds have different names here on Earth. . ."  
In response, a slow grin spread itself over Robin's face. "That," he replied with a point of his finger, "is a robin. He's probably got a nest near here."  
  
A look of puzzlement showed in the young alien's face, and she rested her head down on her knees to look sideways at her friend. "Robin? But I thought you were Robin, Robin." Gently, she laid her hand on the on the ground, allowing the robin to detach itself from her hand.  
  
"I am Robin," was his response. "It's just. . .,well, a name. Lots of things have the same name. Besides--" he shifted himself to a more comfortable position, "--it's something I chose. Because of this." His fingers brushed across the crimson front of his uniform. "Part of the costume."  
  
Ahh. This she could understand. "I see." Question satisfied, the young woman leaned up against the tree again, although her eyes continued to rest upon the red-breasted bird. "It seems to be apart from the other birds," she continued. "Do you think he is lonely?"  
  
"Lonely." There was a long pause from him, so long that she turned away from her bird-watching to look at him. "Maybe," he said at last. "He might just. . .be waiting." Though his body shrugged, his tense tone of voice betrayed a deeper emotion between that calm exterior.  
  
"Waiting? For what?"  
  
Another pause. Their faces were very close now, and if she squinted a little, Starfire thought she could see a pair of eyes behind Robin's mask. "Sometimes. . .they're waiting for someone," he replied slowly. "Someone. . .very special."  
  
"Special." Without realizing what she was doing, Starfire found herself leaning closer towards her closest friend. She could feel a soft, whispering breath on her face and lips; their noses kissed each other even though their lips were still an inch apart. Behind her, the young woman, could feel a rush of cool wind, and the delicate patter of cherry blossoms against her skin. Robin leaned towards her, the inch became a hairsbreadth- -  
  
And then the rain came.  
  
It was as if some heavenly deity has rent the skies apart and let an ocean come surging in. Before one could say Klor-Back Varbler Nelk, Starfire was drenched from boot to auburn hair. "What is this?" she cried, levitating away from Robin and into the air. "I did not think rain was coming!"  
  
"Me neither." Though Robin got to his feet quickly enough, his voice was decidedly glum. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning cracked over their heads, causing both of them to jump in a rather startled manner. "We'd better head back towards the tower!"  
  
"What?" The wind had risen with the rain as well; the maelstrom now drowned out all but the loudest and most strident of voices. How could anything be this wild? thought Starfire frantically. The park had been so peaceful just a few moments ago! Even the peaceful cherry tree seemed enraged, its branches beating at her and the birds perched upon it. "There seems to be something--mmph!" A wayward branch connected with her face, and she slammed back into the ground with a mouthful of cherry blossoms.  
  
"Starfire!" Robin was by her side in an instant, reaching to help her sit up. "Are you hurt?"  
  
She shook her head. "Mmph. I am well, Robin." Coughing a bit, she spat some petals out of her mouth and into her outstretched palms. "It is strange, though."  
  
"Yeah, I know. Storms don't usually--"  
  
"No, I mean these." Starfire pointed at the crushed petals. "If they are cherry blossoms, why do they not taste like cherries?"  
  
". . ."  
  
"Robin?"  
  
"Let's just head home, Star."  
  
*****  
  
"Dude, I told you, I'm just fine!"  
  
Beast Boy lay sprawled out on the couch in the common room, his legs akimbo and his pride mortally wounded. If it weren't for the bruises on his sides, he would have been out of there in a heartbeat, but as it was. . . "It's just bruises, man. Stop with the poking already."  
  
Cyborg, his metal and mortal body draped over the back of the couch, sighed irritably. "I ain't even touched you once. I just said you prolly shouldn't move for a while. Now, I ain't no doctor, but. . .I know when people're hurt. And you--" here he tapped the smaller Titan on the forehead, "be hurt, little man."  
  
This elicited a scowl from Beast Boy. "Look, I'm so totally not hurt." As if to prove this, he shifted himself into a sitting position, although the sudden twinge of pain in his right side made him gasp. ". . .okay, maybe not so totally not hurt. Still not enough you gotta string me out like this." Carefully, both so that Cyborg wouldn't see and so he wouldn't touch a sensitive spot, he massaged his side.  
  
Unfortunately for Beast Boy, however, the half-human did notice. "Toldja you were hurt. Don't you go touchin' it now. Bet she broke a rib or two."  
  
"A rib? You're kidding me!" The small green human pouted a bit, crossing his arms over his chest. "She so totally likes me. She'd never do something like that."  
  
Cyborg's response was a deadpan stare. "If it had anything to do with liking you, you'd be dead, little guy."  
  
"Oh yeah?" Beast Boy drew himself up to his full height on the couch, which put him nearly on eye level with the larger Titan. "And you're saying you'd be any better off, tough guy? Least I'm all animal."  
  
"There ain't nothin' wrong with bein' a Cyborg, Don't go there."  
  
"Dude, you started it!"  
  
"Dammit, this's the last time I'm saving your god-forsaken life if you're gonna act like--"  
  
WHAM!  
  
Both men jumped, argument forgotten in their surprise. The door leading to the outside had been blown open by a massive gust of wind. In the gloom beyond the entryway, only two horrific shapes could be seen. The larger one seemed with an acid fire, with hair raised in a terrible tangle on her head; the other had blank white eyes that stared and chilled Beast Boy deep in his soul--  
  
That is, until the figures stepped into the light and revealed themselves to be Starfire and Robin. While they certainly looked the worse for wear, they were hardly monsters. "Storming out there," remarked their leader, moving towards the kitchen so he could wring his cape out in the sink. "Caught us by surprise."  
  
"You? Surprised?" remarked the Cyborg, who had now turned rather pointedly away from Beast Boy. Fine, the green teen thought. Be mad at me. I got another one've those balloons stashed away. . .  
  
"It was a surprise," offered the alien teen. At the moment, she was threading her fingers through her hair, attempting to purge it of both tangles and stray petals. Beautiful. "There was much surprise, and the cherry blossoms were most distasteful."  
  
"Cherry. . ." began Cyborg.  
  
". . .blossoms? You guys went to The Park?" ended Beast Boy, his jaw dropping. "Dude, that's so Lover's Land!"  
  
"I know," muttered Robin. "It's not that big of a--"  
  
Beast Boy interrupted him however, a wide grin cracking open his face. "You were so totally getting it on! Bow chicka bow wow!"  
  
Starfire, however, only gave him a befuddled look. "Getting it on?" she queried, now picking the last of the petals of her clothes. Pink and purple didn't go all that well together. "I do not understand. Is it similar to getting on a ride at the fair? Robin was not riding me, I believe."  
  
There was a loud cough from the kitchen. Beast Boy opened his mouth to speak, only to find himself silenced by Cyborg's metal hand being slapped over his mouth. "'Course not. Don't worry about it," said the tallest of the Titans. "Ask Robin sometime."  
  
In response, the alien girl nodded. "I will. Until then." She hazarded a glance around the room, obviously looking for something. "Where is Raven?"  
  
Silence. Behind Cyborg's hand, Beast Boy thrashed wildly, willing himself to change into a different, smaller animal. Every time he tried, however, that same twinge of pain returned, and he returned to human form. Had Raven really hurt him? That thought scared him on more levels than he cared to admit. For one thing, he'd seen what she'd nearly done to Dr. Light. For another, he didn't particularly care to end up like that book. Dismemberment was generally painful.  
  
At that moment, Robin returned to the common room wet, but looking far more composed. "Star's got a point. Where is she?" he asked.  
  
"Prob'ly in her room." Cyborg released his smaller teammate at last, then let that arm rest on the back of the couch. "She. . .got angry this afternoon."  
  
"Angry?" Robin's frame tensed up immediately. "At who? A villain?"  
  
"Nah." Cyborg's gaze slid towards Beast Boy, causing the smaller teen to sulk sullenly. "Just him." Then his voice dropped in tone, and his words had a serious edge to them. "But she nearly killed him."  
  
"Yeah right. I was so gonna be bustin' outta there all kung-fu like in just a minute," retorted Beast Boy.  
  
"Only thing you were gonna be was chop suey, man!" yelled Cyborg, "What's your problem?"  
  
"May I go check on Raven now?" interrupted Starfire, who was now hovering anxiously a few feet above the floor. "If she is not well, then. . ."  
  
"That'd probably be a good idea, Star." Robin's brows were creased as the Titan was clearly deep in thought. "Just. . .privacy, remember?"  
  
The alien nodded. "I will remember, Robin." And with that, she floated across the living room and towards the stairs leading down towards Raven's quarters. Man, why don't I get that kinda attention? thought Beast Boy, watching Starfire leave. No fair.  
  
Robin too watched Starfire go, although it was hard to tell behind his mask. Eventually, however, he turned back towards his teammates--and then saw the mess of papers all over the floor. Uh oh, thought Beast Boy. Don't let him say the c-word, don't let him say the--  
  
"C'mon, guys. We've got some cleaning to do." 


	3. Intermission I

A/N: Just a brief intermission for you all, since I won't be getting another chapter written today. Thank you for the reviews, and I hope you enjoy!  
  
--Manny  
  
Intermission I  
  
Outside the Tower, the storm was worsening. Sheets of rain flung themselves towards the pavement, each kamikaze ending in a splash of liquid cold. Those unlucky enough to be exposed to the elements dashed along the streets while traffic ground to a halt. Over all of it, the wind crackled with the force of a thousand gales, screeching and tearing at anything that dared to stand in its way. The world was Chaos, and Chaos ruled the world.  
  
Far above all this, a lone figure drifted. From afar, it looked as if a murder of ravens had all clustered together in one spot; however, as one drew closer, the feathers became black silk that fluttered in the howling gale. A slight jingle accompanied the fluttering as hundreds of tiny metal hooks were pulled to and fro by the wind. No face could be seen, save for something glistening dully where the face should have been. A red mask, colored by blood and framed by shadow.  
  
A low chuckle escaped the shape tattooed against the sky. "Come," it whispered in a husky voice, "come to me." Skeletal fingers played upon a bank of mist to the figure's right, causing it to twist and rend the sky itself. The shape molded those twirling clouds, until a cyclone hung suspended in the air. Behind the mask, a thin smile spread itself across the figure's lips. "For you," it said, its words punctuated by a scream of lighting tearing across the sky. And in that flash, eyes could be seen-- four blood red eyes. . .  
  
"Go."  
  
The twister ripped free of the heavens and went spiraling down into the bay. Once there, it paused for a moment, uncertain, then careened wildly towards a certain Tower in the distance. "Destroy them," came that harsh voice, barely audible above the howling wind. "Destroy them all." 


	4. Chapter Three: Meeting of Minds

A/N: Well, here's the next chappie! Hope you all like it, as I'm not sure when the next one will be up. ;_; I'd like to thank all of you who left reviews, and to extend my special thanks to those who have reviewed more than once. This author definitely appreciates your feedback!  
  
--Manny  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"From the same source I have not taken  
  
My sorrow; I could not awaken  
  
My heart to joy at the same tone;  
  
And all I loved, I loved alone."  
  
--Edgar Allen Poe, "Alone"  
  
Calm. She was calm.  
  
Raven knelt deep within the depths of her mind, arms outstretched in a meditative position. Though the barren ground was cold and her legs bare, she felt oddly comfortable beneath that void of a sky. To her, this was a home away from home--the only place where she was sure to find privacy away from the other Titans. Well, almost sure. The young woman wrinkled her brow slightly as she remembered the one exception to that rule. It had been. . .an unusual experience, she had to admit. Not bad, per se, but unusual.  
  
Even as she thought, the Titan's face softened somewhat. That hadn't been a pleasant surprise, seeing two of her closest friends suddenly inside her mind. Especially considering the threat from her father at the time. If they had been injured, or killed. . .no. Don't even go there, she thought, furrowing her brows in concentration. They were the ones who had broken into her room--they would have deserved to come out of the experience injured or scarred.  
  
"But then they would hurt. And they'd hate us more."  
  
Raven stiffened. Why was this voice coming now? She thought she'd already purged herself of that guilt. Turning slowly, the young Titan faced the gray shadow of herself. As per usual, the figure was hunched over in a subservient position, one hand wiping at a tear-stained cheek. "Th-then Robn and Starfire would hate us," sobbed the wraith, drawing her cloak tightly about herself, "and we would hate us, because if B-b-beast Boy or C-c-cyborg. . ."  
  
Squeezing her eyes shut, Raven tried to keep that frail little voice out of her thoughts. "But they didn't. They're fine," she responded through gritted teeth. "We went over this."  
  
"But I'm s-s-scared," replied the gray-shrouded figure, continuing to weep. "The nightmares. . .the n-nightmares. . ."  
  
". . .are just nightmares. That give me insomnia, but nothing else." Though her timbre was her normal monotonous voice, Raven couldn't help but see some truth in her doppelganger's words. And considering the outburst of this afternoon, the Titan wasn't sure if those horrible nightmares were simply dreams or not. If they were real. . . "Leave me alone," she muttered. "I don't need you right now."  
  
"But.. . .b-b-b-but. . ." The gray figure seemed to shrink in on herself, her blue eyes brimming with tears.  
  
"Go talk to Optimism. She'll help." Raven couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for her other self. After all, this shivering wretch of a figment was an integral part of the Titan's psyche. "I need to talk to someone else now."  
  
After one last hiccup-y sob, the gray-cloaked girl melted back into the shadows. Finally, thought Raven. Recomposing herself, she slowly got to her feet. As the blue fabric of her boots scuffled the barren dirt on which she stood, the scene began to change around her. Which was logical in Raven's mind; one couldn't solve a problem by staying in the same place. The Titan stared down at her feet, as if willing the answer to come from there. What had come over her? Save in her nightmares, her demon of a father was nowhere to be seen in her mind. Where are you? she thought. And what can I do? The rock changed to soft grass, then cobblestones, then finally pale wood paneling, and the Titan lifted her gaze to see a fresh set of scenery about her.  
  
It was a librarian's paradise. Golden sunlight filtered in through tinted panes of glass set in the ceiling, illuminating racks upon racks of books. Though there was not a breath of wind in the place, long, saffron- colored strips of cloth fluttered from the tops of each of the racks. As Raven stared at these silken banners, she could make out symbols for knowledge and truth painted upon each one of them. Raven floated smoothly into the chamber and towards a mammoth desk stationed at the end. As she passed, silhouettes the color of corn tassels stared after her, faces hidden by hoods that had been tethered with strands of glistening honey. They gazed upon her mutely for a few moments, then returned to their duties at the bookshelves.  
  
"Back again so soon?" came a quiet voice. Raven looked up to find herself floating just in front of that enormous desk. Shaped like a mammoth church organ, it was heaped with stacks upon stacks of yellow books, each stack balanced so precariously that they seemed in danger of falling at any moment. Buried deep within this fortress of knowledge was a bespectacled young woman, who was gazing mistily at a tawny book propped up on her lap.  
  
Raven felt a faint smile tickle her lips. She had not come to this part of her mind for a very long time now. "I am," she responded quietly. The young woman across from Raven looked up from her book, although her eyes showed how much she longed to return to whatever those pages held. "I need to know what's going on with my mind," she stated quietly. "And whether there's anything I can remember that would help."  
  
As she spoke, Raven could hear a faint rustling noise as all the golden ghosts in the room turned to stare at her. The librarian, however, merely adjusted the glasses on her nose. "You already know the answer, Raven," she murmured, her gaze sliding back towards her book. "I am not the person you should talk to."  
  
"I don't want to see Subconscious," muttered Raven, adjusting the clasp on her cloak. "I'm--"  
  
"--afraid of what you might see? Yes." The lifted her eyes to look at Raven again, her face contemplative. "I can still look through your memories if you like."  
  
"Please."  
  
Before another word could be said, a whirlwind seemed to go through the chamber. Hundreds upon hundreds of the faceless wraiths descended like locusts on the bookshelves. Hither and thither they fluttered, silent but for the occasional scritch of a pen or the thump of a book being closed; then, merely seconds later, they were quiet and standing once more at their posts. Indeed, Raven might have thought they had done nothing at all, save for the slim stack of papers that now sat atop the saffron librarian's desk. "Take them," she murmured. "You do not have many. I still suggest you see Subconscious."  
  
Raven levitated them into her arms, then looked down at the yellowed pieces of parchment. See the Subconscious, one said. No, that one didn't help. The Titan flipped over to the next page. See the Subconscious, written again in spidery handwriting. Now irritated, she flipped through all of them as quickly as she could in some vain hope that would change their content; unfortunately, however, each of them bore the same message: See the Subconscious. And, Raven admitted with a grimace, they were right. She couldn't a time where she hadn't been asked to consult her Subconscious; it had been a common piece of advice on Azarath. Therefore, this really was the only thing to be done, besides going back to Azarath itself. As if in response to her thoughts, she noticed that the writing on the last piece of parchment now read as Go to Azarath.  
  
"Told you so," murmured the librarian, now all but engrossed in her book. "You already knew it."  
  
"Hnnn." Raven now had no choice but to accept this; perhaps a visit down below would help. Relaxing her mind, the young woman slowly melted through the floor and left the stinging brightness of the library behind. She began to drift downward, like a swimmer slowly drowning in a pool of honey. Fortunately for her, however, she felt no need to breathe. As she floated deeper and deeper, her surroundings seemed to undergo various color changes; blue turned to purple, purple to green, green to orange, then white, then violet, then the final color--black.  
  
Floating in the sodden depths of her psyche, Raven stared out across the void. Odd, she thought. Normally her Subconscious was extremely active, filled with all sorts of crazy fantasies and insane images. And even during the quiet moments, there was always the orange-robed Subconscious there somewhere, snoring her fool head off. No, something was definitely wrong.  
  
Even as she realized that, the young Titan could feel something lurking behind her in the darkness. She turned--and froze in a sort of muted terror. Before her loomed a horrific shape a thousand times her own height, its frame swaying to and fro in the darkness. Though its shape and aura seemed familiar to her, she did not recognize it; a robe of tattered silk obscured any possible glimpse of its face or skin. Besides, her gaze was captured instantly by the images beside the monster. Robin. Starfire. Cyborg. Beast Boy. Each one of them lay spread-eagled on the ground, their forms maimed and discolored by slashes of red that had been left across their bodies. No. No. This couldn't be real. Raven reeled backwards and pressed her hands to her temples, her body nearly trembling with the strain of her negative emotions. Again she looked, and again she saw her friends--Cyborg--Beast Boy--  
  
And then the horrific shadow turned to face her.  
  
Raven floated back from it and put her arms into a defensive position. Whatever it was, it seemed to have noticed her now; she would not escape without a fight. Although she could not see its face, the young woman could sense its emotions, and she knew that it was sadistically pleased at this meeting. Even as she observed this, the behemoth gave a hoarse laugh. "Not yet," it whispered. "Not done yet."  
  
"You've done enough," whispered Raven, bringing her powers to bear on the abomination. "Get out. Get out now!" And with that, she fired a column of dark energy at it, putting every drop of determination she had into it. For a few seconds, she saw it stagger, saw it nearly fall back-- but no, it righted itself immediately.  
  
They faced each other silently for a moment, then the monster raised one hand up and into the darkness. Chaos immediately erupted all throughout the terrain, and Raven had to struggle just to keep her position. Too. . .strong, she thought desperately. Have to get out-- escape--something. Focusing in on herself, the Titan stretched back towards her corporeal body with her mind, desperately seeking a handhold. It was no good to fight an enemy like this without help, and she knew it. For a few terrifying seconds, the creature's pull seemed too great, and she felt herself succumbing--  
  
And then she was back in her room, panting heavily.  
  
What was that? she thought, staring down into the mirror. A single drop of glistening sweat rolled down her cheek and onto the smooth surface, making her reflection warp wherever the water touched. Despite its familiar aura, it was far too strong to be anything she knew of. And surely her father had been sealed by her last voyage into her soul. No sense to it. Aching in both mind and body, Raven leaned back against her bed. Tired. Just tired. Whatever was going on down there, she would have to rest first. Peace. Calm. She tried to be calm.  
  
"Raven?" There was a knock at the door, a light tap that Raven immediately identified to be Starfire's. No, no, no! thought Raven, clutching at her head. That was the last thing she wanted right now. If anything, the alien girl would simply make things worse right now. "Raven?" came the alien's voice once more, now sounding concerned. "Are you alright? Beast Boy and Cyborg said that you were angered this afternoon. . ."  
  
"I'm fine," called back the blue-cloaked Titan, who was now rubbing her temples. Go away, go away, I need to think. . .  
  
"You do not sound so fine to me, friend Raven. Are you sure?" Raven could hear a scrabbling noise, as if Starfire was attempting to open the door. Though she knew her friend meant well, the young woman couldn't help but be tempted to whap Starfire across the head a few times with her powers.  
  
"Yes. I promise."  
  
"May I at least see you?"  
  
". . .fine." Slowly, ever so achingly slowly, Raven got to her feet. Not trusting her legs, the Titan floated gently over to the door then pushed it open a crack, just enough for her to see Starfire's concerned face. "Is this good enough?"  
  
Starfire nodded, although her face was still etched with worry. "I suppose so. I am simply worried about you."  
  
"I know, I know."  
  
"If you need any help. . ."  
  
Raven paused for a moment. She did need help, but she hardly wanted to ask Starfire for it now. She needed more time to think. Meditate. Make sure that the demon she had seen had not been some trick of her own mind. Still. . .Raven opened her mouth to answer her friend. "Starfire, I--"  
  
There was a crack of lightning, and then all the lights in the Tower fell into utter and impenetrable darkness. 


	5. Chapter Four: Over and Out

A/N: Bit of a shorter chapter this time around, but not by a whole lot. Anyway, here's kudos to all who are new and double kudos to my returning readers. I always love to hear comments, so if you like the story, or have a suggestion, or anything, pleasepleaseplease leave a review. I can't express to you the joy I feel to see a notification that some noble soul has deigned to comment on my story.  
  
Anyhoo, here's to all of you. Please enjoy this chapter. n_n  
  
--Manny  
  
Chapter Four  
  
"Dude, this is so not cool. I look like a freaking Martha Stewart!"  
  
"Cleaning ain't gonna poison you. Take it like a man."  
  
Back in the common room, the three male members of the team were cleaning with more or less diligence. The room was a veritable disaster area. In the hallway, wet cherry blossoms had coated the floor and walls; the pages of Raven's book faced a similar fate on the couch. And even without those additions, the common room was naturally cluttered, as Cyborg discovered when he found several bags of radioactively rotten chips wedged between the Gamestation and Beast Boy's DVD collection. Shaking his head in disgust, the eldest Titan regarded the youngest with a mixture between amusement and irritation. "And y'know we wouldn't be cleaning now if you were better 'bout cleaning up after yourself."  
  
"Hey, you're in here just as much as I am," retorted Beast Boy. Looking distinctly unhappy, the small green teen wrestled with a small white apron that was tied around his waist. "'Sides, I don't see why we gotta wear these girly dress-things anyway. Robin got an apron fetish or somethin'?"  
  
"Don't look at me man," returned Cyborg, picking up yet another bag of stale chips. Against his better judgment, the young man peered inside the pouch of cellophane. "Man, these're your chips. I ain't touchin' 'em." He tossed the bag to his friend, feeling rather disgusted. Leaving it around like that.serious waste of chips, man!  
  
The green teen caught the bag, then peered inside as well. "So that's where I put 'em!" Looking quite triumphant, Beast Boy reached into the bag and pulled out a pair of long gray socks. "Knew I'd put 'em in a safe spot." After shoving the garments into a pocket, he paused for a moment to sniff at the bag; then, carefully, he reached in and extracted a chip. "They don't look that bad, y'know," he commented. With a toss of his hand, the chip flew up and landed neatly in the changeling's mouth. "Don't taste that bad either."  
  
Cyborg cringed in disgust. "That's jus' sick, man."  
  
"Actually, they taste pretty good!" returned his friend, reaching once more into the bag. "Kinda like. . .chips and foot salsa." He munched on a chip thoughtfully. "Or salt and sweat."  
  
If he gets sick, thought Cyborg, I sure ain't cleanin' up after him. Good lord. There were moments when Cyborg wondered if he were the only sane one on the entire team. "So you'll eat month-old chips and not meat? Somethin's wrong with you, man," replied the older Titan, stooping to pick up some book pages. As he looked down at one sheet, he paused, flicking the gaze of his one human eye over the pages. As Poe's words were quite ordinary (for Poe, anyway), he quickly turned his attention away from them and towards a series of sidenotes written in spidery script.  
  
He'd never actually seen Raven's handwriting before, Cyborg realized. Said handwriting was. . .quite Raven-ly, but it had an air of delicate beauty that said much of its author. Slowly, the large teen lowered himself to the floor, unable to stop reading the pages; it was almost as if Raven were there herself, speaking in her low dulcet tones.  
  
Suddenly, Beast Boy's hand shot out in front of him and snatched the pages out of Cyborg's clutches. "Gotcha covered, big guy," he commented, adding the pages to a small pile he held in his right hand. "Gonna take care of this myself."  
  
Cyborg stared at Beast Boy for a moment, giving him an incredulous look. "What's the big idea? I had 'em just fine there." And I was enjoying myself, he added in annoyance. Considering it's the closest to her I'll ever get. . . Carefully, the tall Titan got to his feet, making sure to grab several pages on the way up.  
  
Once again, the small Titan reached out for the papers; this time, however, Cyborg countered by holding the sheets high above his head. "Hey! No fair!" he yelped, leaping into the air in an attempt to retrieve them.  
  
Grinning down at the younger teen, Cyborg waggled the pages in midair. "What's so important about 'em? Gonna put the book back together?"  
  
Beast Boy backed off, panting a bit and holding his hurt side. ". . .well. . .I did kinda make her break it." Despite his nonchalant shrug, Cyborg could see a faint tinge of red coloring his face. "Might. . .make her feel better."  
  
"Hnn." Now that Beast Boy mentioned it, Cyborg couldn't help but long to use that same idea himself. It would make her feel better, he thought, and it'd show her how thoughtful they could be. How thoughtful he could be. ". . .why dontcha let me do it?" he asked, keeping a firm grip on the papers he already had. "I got the equipment to put it back together."  
  
"No! I'm gonna do it!" returned the younger man, his voice rising in alarm. "My idea, my job. End of story."  
  
"Lemme just help, man!" yelled Cyborg in response. "Y'can't do it yourself, y'know!"  
  
"Dude, I so totally can! Just lemme alone!"  
  
"Look, I'm just trying to help you--"  
  
Thunder crashed suddenly, and the lights blinked out in a heartbeat. In the darkness, he heard a muffled yelp coming from the kitchen, followed by a dozen pots crashing to the floor. "What in the hell's goin' on here?" Cyborg asked for the second time that day. After moving one hand over to the console on his wrist, the cyborg pushed a couple buttons and activated the infrared vision in his left eye. He looked just past Beast Boy and saw Robin's red silhouette coming out of the kitchen.  
  
To his left, Beast Boy crouched on the floor, staring out into the darkness. Whether the green teen could actually see or not, Cyborg had no idea; Beast Boy had never said whether his animal enhancements extended into his human form. "Okay, who turned out the lights? So not funny."  
  
"Nobody did," came a new voice. Ah, Robin was back with them again. "The power's probably out. Told you it was storming out." The teen's glowing red silhouette turned a bit, and Cyborg realized that Robin had turned towards the door through which Starfire had exited earlier. "Are the girls back yet?"  
  
As if in response to his query, the door opened to admit two floating figures. Another movement of the fingers, and Cyborg disabled his infrared. Green light from Starfire's hands filled his vision, painting the entire scene an acidic green color. "Is everyone alright?" she asked worriedly. "Raven and I were concerned--"  
  
"You were concerned. I thought they would be just fine." Raven's monotone echoed in the eerie air of the common room. "We are all just fine."  
  
"Easy for you to say. I'm still wearing an apron," pointed out Beast Boy. "And trying not to get attacked by zombie dust bunnies."  
  
Raven raised one eyebrow. "Zombie. . .dust bunnies."  
  
"Dude, they're vicious! And," he added, pointing a finger in the air, "they're good at sneaking around. Stealth ninja zombie dust bunnies!"  
  
Cyborg rolled his eyes incredulously. "Look man, be serious for once. This ain't no laughing matter."  
  
"Cyborg's right," agreed Robin. As he turn to look at each of his teammates, their small yet fearless leader showed nothing but a firm yet calm look on his face. "Might just be a power outage. Might be something else."  
  
"I do not understand," came Starfire's lilting voice. "Is this common for storms?"  
  
"Sometimes, yeah." Robin put one hand to his chin, obviously thinking. As silence settled itself over the group, Cyborg thought he could hear something in the distance. Something loud, something huge, like a train passing by. But it couldn't possibly be a train; no such thing came out this far into the bay. Lightning flashed again, and for a moment, the entire room was lit up in a blaze of white fire.  
  
BAMF! Taptaptaptap!  
  
Startled, the eldest of the Titans looked up. "What was that?"  
  
The other Titans had heard it as well, and each stared at the portion of the ceiling just above their heads. "Sounds like a tap dancing llama or something. A stealth zombie ninja tap dancing--"  
  
"It's footsteps," interrupted Raven, waving one hand to make the green teen shut up. "Like someone just landed on the roof."  
  
Robin nodded. "That's what I thought."  
  
"But why would someone be on our roof?" Starfire floated into the hallway and up towards the hatch leading up and out. Like moths following a flame, the other Titans trailed after her, staring up at the alien girl from the bottom of the ladder. "I do not think it would be likely," she added, pushing the metal hatch open.  
  
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the top of the hatch, sending a startled Starfire tumbling backwards and towards all of them. "Starfire!" cried Robin, already running to catch his friend. For a few breathless moments, Cyborg thought he would miss her; then, at the last moment, he stretched out his arms and they both tumbled to the floor. "Starfire! Are you hurt? Starfire?"  
  
Though her voice was shaking, Starfire managed a short laugh. "I am well, friend Robin. It was actually rather fun."  
  
"Fun or not," muttered Cyborg angrily, "that ain't cool. Lemme check this time. Somethin's gotta be out there." With that, he leapt to the ladder and began to climb upwards. Admittedly, some villains played dirty, but. . .that was just too low. Especially with someone as innocent and unsuspecting as Starfire.  
  
Meanwhile, Beast Boy clearly thought his friend had gone insane. "You crazy, dude? You're just gonna walk right out there?"  
  
"What else?" snapped Cyborg, who was now at the top of the ladder. Slowly and carefully, he lifted the hatch and peeked out. It was utter chaos. Rain and wind pelted him the moment his head cleared the hatch, drenching the human side of his head instantly. Cold, too, attacked him; if they had to stay out here for any extended period of time, hypothermia would definitely be an issue. Still, the storm did seem normal enough, according to his scanners. After looking around carefully, the Cyborg slowly lifted himself out and onto the surface of the roof.  
  
"Finally."  
  
Cyborg whirled, nearly losing his balance due to the winds raging all about him. "What the--who the hell--?" he fumbled, staring at the figure before him. In the dim light of the maelstrom, he could see nothing but a floating shadow and a faceless red mask that hovered within the darkness. What was going on? What the hell was going on?  
  
Although he could not see the monster's face, Cyborg got the distinct impression that the shadow was grinning at him. "Maelstrom," it whispered, and raised a hand to the heavens. Instinctively, the teen stared up, but could see nothing. "Maelstrom," it repeated. "Maelstrom comes for her, and him."  
  
"What?" The force of the storm raged harder, making it difficult to hear even his own voice. Cyborg squinted into the chaos, but could see nothing.  
  
A bolt of lightning thundered down from the heavens, striking him squarely in the back. For a moment, the world around him became garbled and insane; then, with the grace of a falling stone, he collapsed on the roof. There he lay, only dimly registering his surroundings. Alive? Yes. Conscious? He wasn't sure. And besides, the amount of pain that now assaulted him made him long for an unconscious bliss.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see movement. Movement of what? He couldn't remember. Everything frazzled--jumbled--chaos. And so he lay there helpless, watching the shadow of death approach like a murder of ravens gliding in for the kill. 


End file.
